Boston Spends Stimulus Money To Clean Up Polluted Sites

August 25, 2009

Fred Thys

Mayor Thomas Menino visited a vacant lot in Roxbury on Tuesday to discuss how the city is using federal stimulus money to clean up contaminated sites. (Fred Thys/WBUR)

Boston is spending some of its federal stimulus money to clean up contaminated sites.

Mayor Thomas Menino said the city has saved or created 1,600 jobs with federal stimulus money.

On Tuesday, Mayor Menino stood in a fenced-in vacant lot in Dorchester, the site of a former car dealership, to talk about how Boston is using the money.

Gail Lattimore, executive director of the Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corp., said federal money will pay to clean up the site in order to build 24 units of affordable housing.

"About 75 people will have a home right on this site in about 24 months," Lattimer said.

The city has received $720,000 to clean up contaminated sites in Dorchester and Roxbury. In all, Menino said Boston has spent $175 million in stimulus money.

This program aired on August 25, 2009. The audio for this program is not available.